STRINGING: The string is unique champagne gold in color ( see pics ) . It looks to be a 16L gauge with average coil memory for a poly. The string felt soft and elastic right out of the package. Stringing presented no problems, crosses were easy as the string seem to have a slippery feel. I did not experience any kinking. I chose a two piece method, stringing top to bottom on the crosses. One of the easier polys to string.http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n...dave/Lux4G.jpghttp://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n...idave/Lux2.jpg

GROUND STROKES: I am a USTA league and tournament player with eastern forehand and one hand backhand , aggressive baseliner, likes to hit hard, moderate spin, flat first serve, American twist second serve. POWER: Flat ground strokes, both forehand and backhand had good pace with good depth. When hit in the sweet spot, I was rewarded with a nice “ thrack” . Off center shots lost a good bit of pace and were immediately evident by a fair amount of jarring. I would call this a medium power poly, less powerful then my reference string.SPIN: Forehand and backhand topspin strokes had decent spin, but substantially less then my reference string. Slice backhands seem to have more bite and actually penetrated the court nicely. Since this is a smooth string, I found spin to be about average for a poly.CONTROL: This is where this Luxilon string really stands out. I found I could hit out with complete confidence. The ball would find the corners and the baseline time and time again. Return of serve was an absolute joy, taking full swings on slower serves or chipping back harder serves, was no problem. Volleys were precise and could be hit with authority and still retain control. One of the better control polys I have played in quite a while.TOUCH/FEEL: Drop shots, angle volleys, lob volleys, were all helped out by this string. I found nice ball pocketing from the string bed. This string does not appear to have “ hot spots” or exhibit any uncontrollable spring from the sweetspot.COMFORT: The string felt somewhat stiff for the first 40 minutes of hitting, then played much softer and much more comfortable through out the play test. I would rate it as a moderately soft poly, not quite as soft as my reference string, but by no means as stiff as Lux Alu. I would not string it too much higher then my 50/48, in a full bed, if you have arm issues.STRING MOVEMENT: None, and I mean zip.

SERVE: I hit serves in both playing conditions and also from a 100 ball hopper.FLAT SERVE: I found the flat serve to lack my normal pace. I am usually around the 90-100mph range. I would say my flat serve was off by 5-7 mph on average. I was not able to get my normal pop on the serve down the “T” , or out wide. This was confirmed by my hitting partner. Placement, however, was very good. I was hitting my spots a larger percentage of the time.SLICE SERVE The slice serve out wide in the deuce court, and down the middle in the add court, was about the same as my reference string. It had good spin, and placement was good.KICK SERVE: I found my kick serve was not jumping up as high, or kicking away as much as I usually see with my reference string. I think the lack of some pace and spin probably account for this.

DURABILITY: The 4G string continued to play well through out the test period. This includes about 10 hours of on court time, 60% doubles, 40% singles. I did not notice the string going dead, or lacking performance.

TENSION MAINT: The string dropped about 4 lbs after 7 hours of play, and seemed to hold at this point.

LIKES/DISLIKES I like the control and solid feel of this string. I always felt confident hitting out on almost all shots. I also like the comfort and feel of this string. My main complaint would be primarily the lack of spin, and pop on serve. Big servers may not notice this as much, but I look for the string to help me out, at least a little. If I were to continue with this string, I might lower the tension a bit, or possibly use it as a cross with natural gut mains. The latter setup could yield a really nice powerful stringbed, with lots of control. Thanks again to TENNIS WAREHOUSE for the opportunity to test the string, and the great T shirt.

The racquet was strung on Monday night 8/13, the test was performed Tuesday evening 8/14.

As I previously noted, I perceived tension dropping during my first hitting session- I was struggling with overhitting in the second hour. My initial plan was to hit again on Wednesday, but unfortunately got washed out. I didn't have the chance to play again until today, Friday 8/17.

Right from the get-go the launch angle was way higher than I would like. (Given the strings have now been in the frame 4 days) My first couple balls were almost into the fence before I adjusted. It was like a totally different racquet, but it made me wonder if I had been slowly adjusting to the increasing launch angle even during that first session without fully realizing it.

Anyway, the racquet was still comfortable, as if the strings still had some sort of life in them, but it wasn't anything I would want to play with given the choice.

The bottom line is that I don't think I could find a tension that would allow me to feel comfortable across more than an hour of hitting, unless I was willing to play with a board for the first hour+ which I'm not.

Strung it up in a hybrid with gosen 16 in the crosses, 52,54. The string did not stretch at all in my klippermate, and was easy to do. Bouncing it around, it feels low powered, and control oriented. I don't think that it will be crazy in the spin department. Playing tomorrow, will report.

STRINGING: The string is unique champagne gold in color ( see pics ) . It looks to be a 16L gauge with average coil memory for a poly. The string felt soft and elastic right out of the package. Stringing presented no problems, crosses were easy as the string seem to have a slippery feel. I did not experience any kinking. I chose a two piece method, stringing top to bottom on the crosses. One of the easier polys to string.http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n...dave/Lux4G.jpghttp://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n...idave/Lux2.jpg

GROUND STROKES: I am a USTA league and tournament player with eastern forehand and one hand backhand , aggressive baseliner, likes to hit hard, moderate spin, flat first serve, American twist second serve. POWER: Flat ground strokes, both forehand and backhand had good pace with good depth. When hit in the sweet spot, I was rewarded with a nice “ thrack” . Off center shots lost a good bit of pace and were immediately evident by a fair amount of jarring. I would call this a medium power poly, less powerful then my reference string.SPIN: Forehand and backhand topspin strokes had decent spin, but substantially less then my reference string. Slice backhands seem to have more bite and actually penetrated the court nicely. Since this is a smooth string, I found spin to be about average for a poly.CONTROL: This is where this Luxilon string really stands out. I found I could hit out with complete confidence. The ball would find the corners and the baseline time and time again. Return of serve was an absolute joy, taking full swings on slower serves or chipping back harder serves, was no problem. Volleys were precise and could be hit with authority and still retain control. One of the better control polys I have played in quite a while.TOUCH/FEEL: Drop shots, angle volleys, lob volleys, were all helped out by this string. I found nice ball pocketing from the string bed. This string does not appear to have “ hot spots” or exhibit any uncontrollable spring from the sweetspot.COMFORT: The string felt somewhat stiff for the first 40 minutes of hitting, then played much softer and much more comfortable through out the play test. I would rate it as a moderately soft poly, not quite as soft as my reference string, but by no means as stiff as Lux Alu. I would not string it too much higher then my 50/48, in a full bed, if you have arm issues.STRING MOVEMENT: None, and I mean zip.

SERVE: I hit serves in both playing conditions and also from a 100 ball hopper.FLAT SERVE: I found the flat serve to lack my normal pace. I am usually around the 90-100mph range. I would say my flat serve was off by 5-7 mph on average. I was not able to get my normal pop on the serve down the “T” , or out wide. This was confirmed by my hitting partner. Placement, however, was very good. I was hitting my spots a larger percentage of the time.SLICE SERVE The slice serve out wide in the deuce court, and down the middle in the add court, was about the same as my reference string. It had good spin, and placement was good.KICK SERVE: I found my kick serve was not jumping up as high, or kicking away as much as I usually see with my reference string. I think the lack of some pace and spin probably account for this.

DURABILITY: The 4G string continued to play well through out the test period. This includes about 10 hours of on court time, 60% doubles, 40% singles. I did not notice the string going dead, or lacking performance.

TENSION MAINT: The string dropped about 4 lbs after 7 hours of play, and seemed to hold at this point.

LIKES/DISLIKES I like the control and solid feel of this string. I always felt confident hitting out on almost all shots. I also like the comfort and feel of this string. My main complaint would be primarily the lack of spin, and pop on serve. Big servers may not notice this as much, but I look for the string to help me out, at least a little. If I were to continue with this string, I might lower the tension a bit, or possibly use it as a cross with natural gut mains. The latter setup could yield a really nice powerful stringbed, with lots of control. Thanks again to TENNIS WAREHOUSE for the opportunity to test the string, and the great T shirt.

Power of test string: This string felt considerably lower powered than the Revolution I use. The pro of this was that you could take big cuts at the ball and keep it in. However, I found it took more to get the ball deeper in the court than usual. Serving also had much less pop on it but was easy to place and move around consistently. I really missed the free points that come with the extra power of the Revolution in my typical setup. Overall 6/10 on power.

Feel: This was a nice solid feeling string during play. Felt especially good when you are in the sweet spot and I didn't find it to be very jarring on off center shots. When volleying, I had good directional control and feel, some of which is probably due to the fact that I played it in a hybrid with a multi in the crosses. Groundstrokes also felt easy to move the ball around the court when needed. I liked the feel on backhand slices and it kept the ball consistently low. Overall 8/10

Spin: Nothing out of the ordinary here. Played like most other smooth polys. I typically play with geometric polys like Revolution or Tour Bite which definitely generate more spin. the string was effective on my backhand slice at keeping it low. There was a big dropoff in spin production on my groundstrokes, drop shots and kick serves. Serving was tough as I felt I could no longer get my second serve to kick up and come out of my opponent's strike zones a bit more. Overall 6/10

Comfort: During play, I found this to be a pretty comfortable string. However this week I have noticed more soreness in my shoulder and elbow than usual. I think some of this is a by-product of compensating for the lack of power by swinging harder. After I finished each hitting session, I definitely felt more fatigue in my shoulder and arm. Overall 6/10

Durability: Durability seems pretty solid. I have about 7 hours on the strings and they show little wear. Since they are somewhat smooth, they definitely aren't chewing through my multifilament crosses like a shaped poly does. Comparatively, they seem to be in line with the other polys I have played recently. Overall 7/10

Tension maintenance: 7 hours in, the strings are just now starting to move around in the string bed. Nothing major and they are easily snapped back into place. These were strung at 50 to start with and I haven't noticed a loss of tension large enough to impact performance yet. Overall 7/10

Control: String produced easily controllable shots. The lack of power created a bit of an issue for me with consistently keeping the ball deep into the court. Many groundstrokes were landing around mid-court where as typically I am able to keep the ball closer to the baseline. Volleying offered good control as did slices when I wanted to keep the ball low. Overall 7/10

Compare to the string you use most often: The lack of power and spin was immediately noticeable compared to the Solinco Revolution I typically have in the mains. I missed the pop on my serve and groundstrokes as well as the ability to play the ball into the back of the court. The Luxilon perhaps had a bit more of a "solid" feel to it but I would sacrifice that to gain the spin and power back. Comfort was also an issue as I found myself more sore and fatigued than usual after hitting with the 4G. Overall, this was an average playing poly that didn't do anything well enough to justify a switch, especially considering it will most assuredly carry a Luxilon price when it comes to market.

Tension recommendations: I thought my test tension of 50lbs was fine. I personally would not string it any higher than 50-52 as it was already making me sore. If anything, I would consider dropping it down to 49 or 48 since it seems to have decent enough tension maintenance not to immediately become a rocket launcher at lower tensions.

Summary:
Likes: Color looks good in Max200G, very solid feel on contact, easy directional control and touch.

Dislikes: Very low power, lacks spin production of shaped poly, created more fatigue.

Overall this was a 6.5 or 7 out of 10 for me. It fit in with lots of other smooth polys that I have played with but was one of the most low powered I can remember playing recently. Luxilon 4G played as an average, all around poly. It does many things decently but nothing superbly. For me, this lack of standout performance characteristics (especially power and spin), coupled with the premium price point I'm sure it has would keep me from considering switching to it. Still, thanks to TW and Luxilon for the opportunity and for the t-shirt!

Stringing it was ok. I expected it to be softer than ALU based on the TW review, but it still felt pretty stiff. It was only slightly easier to string than the ALU. I would attribute this to a slightly slicker coating compared to ALU.

Playtest to follow

8/18/12:
- Hit with it briefly for 5 minutes and put it down. Felt far too firm and uncomfortable. Will try to hit with it again today.

8/19/12:
- Hit with for about an hour
Power of test string: Power seemed ok. I haven't been using any 1 string lately, but I would say it's lower than all the ones I have been using. Currently have a Still In Black playtest string in my other racquet. This is definitely lower in power compared to that. That being said, it wasn't anything where I couldn't adjust to. Definitely wouldn't expect this string to randomly launch balls. If it were to happen, it'd be user error and not because of any overwhelming power from the string.

Feel: The feel was very firm. Definitely didn't find it as easy for more delicate shots as compared to softer polys. The firm feel does translate to a more solid feel however when striking the sweetspot. Anything outside of the sweetspot was not met with good results however. Instant drop off when this happened and a bit jarring as well.

Spin: Average. Nothing more and nothing less. I don't expect round polys to generate anything extra so this was no surprise. I didn't find it hard to generate topspin, but it was not as if the string generated overwhelming topspin or anything.

Comfort: The first time I've ever had elbow problems as a result of hitting. This string was uncomfortable the first time I hit with it. After an hour hit I now have elbow pain. Needless to say, these 2 hitting sessions will be all these strings see for now. Very uncomfortable.

Durability: Some very minor notching after an hour. But I think this is normal. Cannot really comment more beyond that.

Tension maintenance: Not bad. Was actually hoping for it to drop off a bit to soften up, but is still very firm compared to when I first strung it. Can only assume tension has remained relatively stable.

Control: The lower power did translate to not overhitting, but resulted in shorter depth. I could control the ball, but it was hard to control the depth. If I had more time with it I'm sure it would be ok. As of now, it is just average.

Summary:
Would not use it due to the inherent stiffness of the string and the ensuing results of tennis elbow. Other than that, just a very average string. Found ALU Power to play better and I'm not that big of a fan of that either. Prefer the softer co-polys.

Tension used for playtest: 52/54 (Assuming the 4G is a 16L tested initial tension with RT as 53.7)

Regular string set up: B5E / N.vy

Racquet brand and model used for test: Volkl X8 300

Power of test string: Potential power was down from my normal string even though I strung 2 lbs. less than usual. Interestingly the power level was adequate and very predictable even though the initial hits felt very board-like and stiff. After about an hour or so of singles drill, etc. the string bed became much less stiff feeling without losing any of the feel and control. So while this string was less powerful than some other poly hybrids I have used, the power level was fine and the consistent application of power far offset any loss of it.

Feel: Extra good. I really like the feel of Lux strings and this one doesn't disappoint. This string combined really well with the N.vy in my racquet. Volley, drop shot, slice off speed - all exceptional. Even though a Poly I felt very connected to the ball and was able to control pace, spin, and direction easily. I didn't find a shot that lost an appropriate response or feel. Off center shots didn't really register which was a bit of a surprise considering how stiff the string seems to be. I liken this string bed to a scalpel.

Spin: Perfectly fine for a smooth poly. I have been playing with a shaped poly lately and really like Lux rough; I didn't notice that I was being penalized for playing with a smooth poly. The strings are snapping back nicely over the silicon coating of the N.vy 16. The amount of spin was also nicely modulated here, which is a problem area with the shaped strings for me.

Comfort: As a hybrid anyway I haven't noticed anything out of the usual. Certainly not a comfort string, but nothing out of the ordinary for a quality poly.

Durability: I really haven't played with it long enough to determine, but I don't usual break a poly before it loses so much tension it is unplayable. I'll follow up on this...

Tension maintenance: Initial tension right off the stringer was 53.7. After about 4 hours of play I am reading 51.4 for a tension loss of 4.2% which is about on par for high quality ploys crossed with nat gut in my experience. So far so good. Playability has been very consistent since the string bed settled in after about an hour of play. I will take a reading after each session and update because tension maintenance is one of the attributes I am looking for with this string.

Control: Amazing. Other than maybe Lux Rough and Natural Gut in its honeymoon period nothing I have played with works better than this hybrid combo for my racquet and game. Easy control of direction, depth, and spin across a full variety of shots. Very predictable.

Compare to the string you use most often: I really like my current setup of B5E and N.vy. as a reasonably affordable hybrid. And I have played really well with it. This string compares very favorably to that set up. Less powerful but more predictable and a much better feel. A very solid hit that compliments my racquet. Also better off center than the B5E. If tension maintenance holds true with this string I would consider switching.

Tension recommendations: A starting point of 52 / 54 with an initial drop to 51.4 seems about right for me.

Summary:

Likes: Very solid feel on contact even off center, easy directional, depth and spin control with touch. Very solid all around string allowing me to hit away or play a touch shot.

Dislikes: We shall see. Could be price? I will update after a match and some more hours of play relative to tension.

After four hours of practice and drills this string is an 8.5 to 9.5 out of 10 for me. I will update after a match.

String first impression stringing-Very little stretch felt; only string I have that stretches less than this is my Ashaway Kevlar. I knew the string bed was going to be extra tight but I wanted to compare it to my usual setups without any other variables.

Full set or hybrid-Hybrid on one Racket with Solinco Tour Bite 16L, the other had the BHB7 mains.

Tension used for playtest-Normal 60lbs was used.

Regular string set up-Tour Bite or BHB7 or Genesis Twisted Razor or Ashaway Kevlar 18 Mains with either Scorpion or Silver String Crosses at 60lbs.

Racquet brand and model used for test-Donnay-x white 99

Power of test string-With such low stretch added to my crosses it really tightened up the string bed so there was a little loss of power. Since I swing out at every ball this doesn’t affect me much.

Feel-A little less feel but I mostly come to the net to finish a point off except in doubles.

Spin-I hit very heavy spin so this didn’t affect me much either, but did notice a little less jump on my ball.

Comfort-My arm has never been affected by Kevlar at high tensions so this was fine in the comfort area.

Durability-Since I used it for a cross string durability did not come into play after 6 sets. It seems like it would be a durable string, but not sure on how long before the playability goes out the door.

Control-The trajectory was very predictable and I was able to flatten out my shots especially on returns without fear of it going out; this caused my ball to skid more then usual which through the timing off on my opponents. I only know one swing speed and that’s full bore so I can’t comment much on that.

Compare to the string you use most often-My flat serves were going in at a higher percentage and still with good pace; again they were skidding more throwing off my opponents that are used to my game. My spin serve did lose a little hop.

Ground strokes were lower in trajectory and I could hit out much more on my flat shots. A little less feel on touch shots but mostly when I come in I’m hitting out on swinging volleys. Most of my touch shots are used in doubles and I did have to adjust a little at first with the stiffer string bed.

Tension recommendations-For me and my game, I would lower my crosses about 3lbs to give them a little better feel and just a slight more power.

Summary-I like the tighter bed for my flat shots but miss a little of my usual spin. I was able to win all of my matches with the change of string, so it didn’t throw off my confidence. In the end, I still over all prefer my current set up.

Thanks for test strings as I do enjoy the chance to find my next favorite string and I alway love experimenting.

I strung this as a hybrid with gosen 16 natural in the crosses. The mains were strung at 52lbs, and the crosses 54, on a klippermate. While stringing, I noticed that the strings did not stretch at all. I chose to do a hybrid over full poly because none of the pros who use this string use it in a full bed. They always hybrid it.

My regular string setup constantly changes, but I have very much liked Big Hitter Blue Rough and Isospeed Baseline spin with gosen in the crosses, and at the same tension used above.

I used a Dunlop aerogel 4d 300 tour, with lead in the hoop.

Power: This string was not powerful in the slightest. I really had to swing to get some pop, but even then, it wasn't all that much. I did enjoy the fact that I have to provide my own power though.

Feel: This string had a lot of touch. drop shots were beautiful , and i was able to play volleys where I wanted to. It was not stiff, but crisp. On forehands from the baseline, I was able to feel the ball as I hit it; not something that usually happens.

Spin: This string was not all that good in the spin department, but since I have a sort of loopy forehand, it actually helped flatten out my strokes. This is no BHBR. It doesn't win points for you.

Comfort: I have never had any elbow problems, so pretty much every string is nice and comfy. It was not mushy, but crisp.

Durability: After 4 hours of play today, I did not see any notching, but I rarely do this early, as my frame has an 18x20 string pattern. I'll have to see if I will cut it out first, or break it.

Tension Maintenance: I didn't notice a change while playing, but I will update this the next time that I play.

Control: As this string was low powered, the trajectory was predictable. Not all that high, and not all that low. Sort of a medium throw.

Compared to BHBR: I did like this more than BHBR, in the sense that this is a more advanced players string. It is meant for someone who has dependable strokes, and doesn't need to get lucky with crazy topspin. There was not as much spin, but I don't think that it made a difference.

Tension recommendations: I would leave mine at the same tension. It is in that area where going too tight would make it too low powered, and making it looser would make it like a generic poly. I think that the point of this string is to be low powered, so why string it looser to make it powerful?

Summary: 1. I liked the fact that using this string makes you focus on your strokes, and made my forehand less loopy.

2. I also loved the feel. This is my favorite setup for volleys.

I disliked the fact that it was low powered, but I think that it was what luxilon intended.

Thanks to TW and Lux for the string and shirt. This was a very fun play test.

Power of test string
-Power was average for a poly nothing special. I can't say much more about that. 5/10

Feel
-I could tell exactly where the ball was on the string bed and I could place the ball where ever I wanted with controlled topspin. 7/10

Spin
-I found that this string did not really assist spin production that much. However, for a non-textured mono-filament, I would say it was average. 5/10

Comfort
-Absolutely none. It felt like I was hitting with plywood. One of the most uncomfortable mono-filaments I have ever used. 1/10

Durability
-Fine, I don't break polyesters. 10/10

Tension maintenance (how long before it became too loose or unplayable)
-Too early to comment but I suspect it will last about a total of 4 - 5 hours. Average for a polyester. 5/10

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?)
-Excellent. I could place the ball where I wanted to easily with nice topspin on it. 8/10

Compare to the string you use most often
-Compared to the multi-filaments I normally use, Tecnifibre Multifeel and E-Matrix, It was terrible. The control was better but not enough to warrant all of the other issues it presented such as lack of additional pop and total lack of comfort. Compared to other polyesters, it performed similarly to Wilson Spin Cycle except this string was significantly less comfortable.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?)
-I thought 40lbs would reduce the inherent stiffness of this polyester like how it does when I use other polyesters but I just could not tolerate how this string felt. I would recommend to string it lower than 50lbs IF you like stiff polyesters. If you don't I wouldn't recommend this string at all.

Summary: List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes.
-The control was very good and the color looks nice in some frames. However, the stiffness that I felt was too big of a matter for me to consider using this. I mainly use multi-filaments and natural gut but I do like to test soft polyesters and use them occasionally. I just cannot find myself recommending this to anyone. Luxilon's ALU Power Rough provides all of the same characteristics but with more spin. Unless you like to use a polyester and hit fairly flat I can't find a reason this string would benefit you over other Luxilon strings.

Power of test string: The string felt more low powered compared to the Luxilon Big Banger ALU Power strings that I usually hit with and hybrid with my usual set up. The power with the serve was also not that great. What it lacks with power it makes up for in feel and comfort.

Feel: When playing the volleys it felt great. It was easy to control the direction and depth of the volleys on the court. the finesse touch volleys and drop shots felt much more effortless compared to the usual set up with big banger ALU power.

Spin: Creating spin was easy, although the sacrifice of power did make it tough to hit solid topspin ground strokes. However, the slice and slice volleys were decent. Not as great as other polys I've played with that are either shaped or textured.

Comfort: Compared to my usual set up, not as comfortable, however for a full bed of poly, the strings felt soft and comfortable. However, I've had played with full bed polys before, and soreness developed most likely due to compensating for the lack of power.

Durability: I've never had broken poly beds before. As with many other polys I've played with, durability is not an issue.

Tension maintenance: Interestingly enough, the tension maintenance of this string is awesome. Played with it for 5 hours after it was strung and another 5 hours the next day for a total of 10 hours and loss of tension was not noticeable as with other polys I have played with.

Control: The control on volleys were great. Easy to redirect the shots and add the right amount of touch. The control on the groundstrokes, both forehand and backhand, was tough due to the lower power. Could not consistently get decent groundstrokes due to compensating for lack of power.

Compare to the string you use most often: Compared to the Nat Gut and ALU Power hybrid set up it does lack in power and comfort. However, I think that this would be a great substitute to the ALU power string that I usually use in my set up due to it's soft feel and great control that would compliment my game.

Tension recommendations: Since I had it strung at 58, due to it's lack of power, I'd probably string it much lower from what I played with. Most likely around 50 lbs as a start.

Primary Likes: The better comfort compared to other polys and it's feel. It also had great tension maintenance.

Primary Dislikes: The lack of power was the big detractor for this string and not enough spin (albeit this is a smooth poly).

Overall, as a full bed, I did not like it. I feel that hybrid-ing with a softer string either a multi-filament or Gut would be a set up due to it's comfort and feel for a poly and better tension maintenance compared to other polys. When this hits the market, I will definitely try a set up of Natural Gut and Luxilon 4G and I think it'd be a great combination for a control oriented player.

Before I give my review, I just want to thank Tennis Warehouse and Luxilon for allowing me to be a part of this rewarding string playtest. Also, thanks for the free t-shirt!

Stringing Process: I know that I am not the best stringer in the world, but these strings were quite easy to string. The crosses were noticeably easier to string, as they seemed to have more of a slippery feeling. I used a full bed of the luxilon playtest string. I strung at 56 pounds for both mains and crosses.

Regular String: full bed of Technifibre Black Code 16

Regular Racket: Head Youtek Prestige Pro 16x19

Power: Compared to my reference string, this string was less powered in general. There was a noticeable drop in power on off-centered shots. The ball would usually float over the net with little pace.

Spin: Compared to my reference string, my forehand and backhand had comparable spin. The backhand slice seemed to travel deeper in the court. There were no real surprises on spin, as this is a poly.

Feel: Compared to my reference string, the feel from the string was a little better. My touch volleys and drop shots were all had a little more finesse to them, but nothing spectacular.

Comfort: Compared to my reference string, the strings needed to be broken in a little after a fresh string job. The strings were definitely stiffer at first, but after about an hour of moderate hitting, they softened up nicer, and much to my liking. Some of it may be due to the higher tension for the string, but nevertheless after an hour of hitting, they felt great on my arm.

Durability: This set of Luxilon playtest strings played well during the 15 hours I’ve used them so far. The strings did not really go dead or anything yet, which is definitely a plus.

Tension Maintenance: The string was stiff after the fresh string job, but dropped a couple of pounds after about an hour of hitting. No noticeable drop since the initial drop.

Control: Compared to my reference string, the control I found on this racket was unbelieveable. I would be taking big swings at the ball, bigger than normal, and the ball would somehow find the sidelines and baseline repeatedly. Control on the serve and returns were also noticeably better than compared to my reference string.

Tension Recommendation: I would probably string it around 52 or 53 next time. I think that if I strung it lower, it would shorten the hour I needed for the strings to loosen up a little.

Likes and Dislikes: After this playtest, I have grown to like the control from these strings the most out of all categories. The next like in the list would probably be tension maintenance; it seemed to only drop a couple pounds and then hold tension from there. My main dislike would probably be the amount of spin I produced with this racket was nothing better than my current string. Although this really isn’t a dislike, I had higher expectations for the string category for this playtest.

Ease of stringing: about as easy as other polys an easy to handle string

Power of test string: Medium Power poly. Had good depth once I adjusted for this string. 4/5

Feel: drop shots and volleys A+ with this string, very good feel. 4.5/5

Spin: I am an old school more flat ball hitter but also spin when needed this string seemed typical spin for poly. Was able to produce more spin than my normal set up of nat. gut. 4/5

Comfort: Great comfort at the 47 lbs. I strung it at, but still not as comfortable as my normal set up of nat. gut 4/5

Durability:Tension maintenance:14+ hours and still performing nice. Great durability and tension maintenance , no string movement yet, so very resistant to moving! 4.5/5

Control: 4.5/5 A+ very good control string. This is a baseliners control string. This is where this string excells is control and tension maintenance.

Compared to normal string: Although a comfortable poly, not as comfortable as my normal nat. gut, and not as powerful, which was very much noticable on serves. Was able to adjust to this string even coming from a nat. gut string. This string did offer more control over my normal set up.

Tension recommendations: Seemed comfortable at the 47 lbs I strung it at, if I had to do it again I would string it the same.

Primary Likes: Control and tension maintenance/ durability

Primary Dislikes: Loss of speed on serves as compared to my usual set up of nat. gut. not quite the comfort of nat. gut but thats to be expected.

Very good string overall, as I was able to hit and adapt to it very well coming from an all nat. gut set up where thats a different animal.Thank you for the playtest.

Power of test string: low; there’s no free power from 4G. you’ve got to have a full swing and good racquet head speed to get any pop from this string setup. (4 of 10)

Feel: although power was low, the feel was very good. (7 of 10)

Spin: wow. Given that poly generally provides better spin, I was surprised that 4G doesn’t do anything to in the spin dept. Even a full bed of syn gut provides higher spin levels than this setup. Balls that looked like they would sail long did land out. Very low spin capability (5 of 10)

Comfort: comfort was surprisingly good given the lack of stretch during stringing. (7 of 10)

Durability: since I tested this as a cross, durability isn’t an issue. The syn gut mains will break long before the 4g crosses.

Tension maintenance (how long before it became too loose or unplayable): so far, I’ve hit with this string job for about 60 mins and the tension seems to be pretty stable. I'll probably cut out the strings because i need more spin and depth control so i won't be able to track the tension loss over time.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): Directional control was very good, but depth control wasn’t since spin was lacking. Many of my groundstrokes landed long. With the low power and low spin of this string setup, I had to keep the racquet head speed high to avoid hitting short balls that could be easily attacked. As long as the swing speeds were high, the flatter balls had plenty of pace and landed deep.

Compare to the string you use most often: Compared to Iontec, this setup was lower in power. Directional control was comparable, but wasn’t as good controlling depth. comfort was approximately the same. I think I get better feel w/ Iontec.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?) the tension I chose feels right on target for me. I wouldn’t string the other half any differently.

Summary: List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes. Likes: Very good directional control and good comfort. Dislikes: Lack of spin made it difficult to control shot depth. Overall, i'd rate this string 6 of 10. Feel and comfort wasn't enough to make up for the lack in spin and depth control.

stringing with Full set.
Tension used for playtest : 47lb
Regular string set up : 47lb, Gamma Zo Verve
Racquet brand and model used for test : Srixson Revo-X 2.0
Power of test string : Great! 8.5/10, almost same power level as ALU Power.
Feel : Crisp and sharp ball feel. I like more ball hold feel,,,
Spin : 7/10. good, But compair with Zo Verve, less that it of spin potentiality.
Comfort : Good 7.5/10. No negative vivlations.
Durability : ?? I use just two days,,,
Tension maintenance : ??, Just two day, no lose tension, I'll check a week later.
Control : Good, Have thin gage's fine control./
Compare to the string you use most often : more power, more control, more good feel. I love it without spin potentiality
Tension recommendations : I tried 47lb. But more high tensions are better I think. lower tension make it little bit sensitive feel,,
Summary: Good, I love it, I woory just price!

Feel: Slightly above average for a poly. Softness of the string helped. No break in period was needed as with some other poly's.

Spin: Below average for a poly. Far less than my usual string and less than most other polys I've tried.

Comfort: Above average for a poly. I felt comfort was the strings strong point, helped with feel.

Durability: Looks to be good so far, but have only played with it a few hours.

Tension maintenance: So far looks to be very good.

Control: Control was good, again I think the softness of the string helped here

Likes: The comfort and feel. Appears tension maintenance will be good also.

Dislikes: The lack of spin and power I got from the string.

Summary: I thought the 4G was a good all around poly, but did not stand out in any one category. I would have preferred more spin and more power potential. The comfort would make it a good string choice for some of the stiffer more powerful rackets.

Full set or hybrid: Full Set
Tension used for playtest: 55
Regular string set up: PHT/VS Touch 55/57
Racquet brand and model used for test: Babolat PSTGT
Power of test string: For myself, I had enough power with the string
Feel: Could be better since I am used to the Gut in the hybrid.
Spin: Decent spin, nothing extraordinary.. but I'm okay with it because I hit flat
Comfort: Very comfortable on my arm
Durability: TBD but I am not a string breaker
Tension maintenance (how long before it became too loose or unplayable): Too early to say but from what people have been saying here... looks like it'll be fantastic
Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?): Great control.. got good directional control.
Compare to the string you use most often: I actually love the full bed. I haven't gotten to try out the hybrid extensively but from hitting a few balls with it, I actually prefer the full bed of 4G compared to the hybrid of 4G and VS Touch.
Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?): Liked it how I strung it.. 55 pounds
Summary: List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes. Liked the control..Dead feeling string just like the PHT but a bit more forgiving. Great string for me. Dislike.. so far .. none!

I'll post another review for the hybrid and continue to update this full bed review if needed. Looks like I might be switching!

Power of test string3/10 - Low powered perfect match for my racquets, though a little less power than Yonex Poly Tour Spin and just as much as Poly Tour HS, which means no power really.

Feel10/10 for a poly- Crisp as expected but soft surprisingly, but not better than the Yonex strings. I could always tell where I was hitting the ball with no problem, but how i handle heavy spin from others it wasn't nearly as good as with the strings I use.

Spin0/10- You get no spin help from this string, you have to come up with fast acceleration to get extra spin because it also doesn't grab the ball very well. Both Yonex string blow the 4G away in spin dept. Very poor in the spin dept help.

Comfort10/10- Very comfortable for a poly, more comfy than both Yonex strings since the beginning, even being crisp.

Durability6/10- It's been almost 8 hours, notched I think I could go another 6 hours with it, but it's not worth it to me.

Tension maintenance (how long before it became too loose or unplayable)5/10. The tension maintenance isn't as good as the Yonex ones, Poly Tour HS plays well for 15 hours or so maybe more, the Yonex Poly Tour Spin barely moves in the first 5-6 hours, while the 4G starts to move just after 2-3 hours and gets worse, but still plays nice with good feel surprisingly by now, but you gotta put the string back where it's supposed to be.

Control (predictable trajectory? performance on different strokes and swing speeds?)5/10- Control was alright, as far as keeping the ball in play, my balls were coming a little shorter than usual, so I had to be swinging harder than before. Lower balls coming from slices I could not control very well, since 4G doesn't grab the ball well. As far as flat shots it was good the direction, predictable as I expect from a round string, but overall to control and change direction and inject extra pace and spin wasn't good.

Compare to the string you use most often- Compared to Yonex Poly Tour SPIN, the Yonex string is better in everything but in comfort, I'd same the same thing for the Yonex Poly Tour HS, better in everything but in comfort, the HS has a more dead feel than the 4G in my opinion.

Tension recommendations (after hitting it, would you recommend a different tension? Why?) I'd drop it another 3 Lbs to get easier power and as it doesn't give you much spin

Summary: List 1 or 2 primary likes and dislikes.

Like- Like 1-as always, Luxilon strings have some the best feel for polyester even though this one isn't explosive in the first few hours like some of their other strings.

Like 2- I also liked the comfort without sacrificing control.

Dislike- lack of spin help, lack of ball bite that i'm used to, lack of more power.